The proportion of American families headed by single mothers has increased dramatically in recent years. However, little empirical research has been devoted to the strategies employed by single mothers in meeting their parental responsibilities, coping with economic difficulties, and combatting feelings of loneliness and isolation. The ways in which women become single mothers--marital disruption, out-of-wedlock pregnancy, or single adoption--have been described to some degree, but have not been compared in terms of their ongoing significance. Further, practically no data presently exist on the experience of lesbian mothers, a population which may be expected to encounter some problems distinct from those faced by other single mothers. The proposed ethnographic research will explore the adaptive strategies adopted by never-married mothers, both heterosexual and homosexual, and will continue the present research on formerly-married mothers. Interviews will focus on assessing the impact of sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age of children, and age of mother on access to and utilization of economic resources and sources of social support (interpersonal, community, and institutional) and on expressed beliefs, values, and world view. It is anticipated that the results will generate recomendations useful to planners and policymakers in law, mental health, and social welfare, and also suggest directions for further research and social action.